


Fish Don't Talk Back

by Leonixon



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe, Android mermaid nines, Angst, Blood, Gunshot Wounds, M/M, Mentions of red ice, MerMay 2020, Mermaid Nines, One Night Stands, One Shot, Swearing, Violence, mentions of torture, mermaid, mermaid au, reed900
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:35:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24472876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leonixon/pseuds/Leonixon
Summary: Gavin is assigned a nightly guard shift at a secret experimentation facility. Though, what he is guarding isn't what he had imagined.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 21
Kudos: 114





	Fish Don't Talk Back

**Author's Note:**

> This fic has been haunting me for a week now but finally! Finally I have it done, just in the nick of time....on the last possible day.
> 
> I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!
> 
> Along with this fic, I created a moodsetter playlist on spotify! Look me up under Leonixon playlist "Mermay" <3

“Consider this as a way to redeem yourself.”

"From suspension? Night guard duty. Really? I'm a detective, not a glorified mall cop, Jeffery."

"Captain." He reminded him firmly, and Gavin rolled his eyes, brushing back his hair from his forehead. "Gavin, I can't keep doing you favors like this. Sooner or later-"

He rolled his head in exasperation before placing his hand on Fowler's desk with a growl. "That guy had it coming, and you know it! He was a fucking slime ball, in bed with the fucking district eternity." He lifted his hand, shoving it into his jacket pocket. "What he said was sick and deserved the fucking beating I gave him."

The Captain closed his eyes in exasperation. “Cyberlife is looking for an overnight guard with...a loose moral.” He placated. “Perfect for you.”

“I don’t know whether to be insulted or complimented.” Gavin scoffed.

"They have a new line of androids, and it's to be kept under red tape. Tight, red tape."

Gavin bit his inner cheek in thought.

“You’re to be stationed there for a few months.”

“ _Months_?”

“Better than rotting away in a bar at three A.M. every night.”

Gavin flinched. Yeah, that hit a little too close to home. “Look, maybe a change of scenery will do you good.”

He was right, but he still didn't like it. He leveled him with a glare and a bitter laugh. "I'll think about it. Between you and me, I like the bar scene at three A.M.. At least those fuckers show you their teeth first before they kiss your ass." The detective gave him a bitter mock smile before walking out of the office.

It was later on that night, four whiskeys, and nine cigarettes in, Gavin smoked outside in front of the bar, the glow of his cellphone lighting soft shadows across a displeased expression.

4:33 A.M.

When would you like me to start?

(read)

He had nothing to lose. He would lose his sanity if he rotted away at home and, yeah, here. Gavin smiled at the read status seconds later, taking a deep drag. Fowler was working a late night, it seemed. He watched as the three dots bounced one by one, indicating he was typing for a moment before the reply popped up.

4:35 A.M.

tomorrow night

4:36 A.M.

(File.20200508)

The detective narrowed his eyes, bouncing the cigarette on his lip as he exhaled the smoke before opening the sent file. A summary of his duties and the job details. Yeah, he didn't have enough patience to read the whole damned thing. When he had scrolled to the bottom after five long swipes of his thumb, an empty space awaited his electric signature. He raised an eyebrow at the Cyberlife logo at the corner of the document. Cyberlife, huh?

4:38 A.M.

do your homework, son.

Plucking the smoke from his lips, he smiled. "Phckin' bastard." He looked up, out into the night, flicking the butt of his cigarette onto the ground. There were unspoken benefits to having Fowler as both a boss and an adoptive father.

The place was fucking huge, shiny, and all too bright and clean. It was the type of place that reminded him of sci-fi films or ma-ma's fucking kitchen. Because heaven forbid if anyone fucked up her clean and pristine kitchen.

A smile came to his lips. Yeah, those were the innocent days that Fowler actually treated him like a son rather than his subordinate. Watching Sunday night football with TV dinners fresh from the microwave because ma-ma had to pull another shift at the hospital.

When the politics of the job hadn’t turned his head into mush and-yeah…

The good ‘ol days.

This place would surely get to his head in no time. Halfway through his shift and Gavin was already twitchy, hands seeking out something to hold or to play with. He needed a drink. A fucking light. Something to cool the burn in the back of this throat and calm the shaking nerves of being alone with his thoughts.

Yeah, bars at three A.M. were nice.

Because at least he wasn’t alone.

He was lucky to pick someone up for the night too. A good fuck to ease the tension and send them on their way. Maybe to have something solid to hold onto. To pretend that this was some romance novel if for a night.

And there he went again losing himself to his thoughts.

"Shit…" He hissed, and he hated how his voice hissed back. How his echoing footsteps mocked him as he made his rounds. This laboratory was small. Just based outside the warehouse district at the docks. It was surrounded by heavy metal walls, barbed wire fences and a security booth at the entrance. One way in and out.

Fuck this." He took his pack of cigarettes from his pocket along with a lighter. He placed the cigarette between his lips, cupping the end as he flicked the lighter at the end. A few puffs had it smoking, and he welcomed a deep drag that gave him the much-needed nicotine to calm his fucking nerves.

He held it and then exhaled slowly, the smoke filtering through his nose.

It was quiet, but at least he still had his lights. He looked about the large hallways noting the weird piping that ran along the top right corner. Every now and then it would come to the junction that leaked an odd light blue liquid. He would think a high tech place like this wouldn't have such faulty plumbing.

It was spring, so maybe the pipes had frozen and were melting? His face twisted into dissatisfaction when he came to that conclusion. God, he was so fucking bored. Bored enough that he had subconsciously started following the piping.

Even then, he was starting to think that this piping was installed after it was built. Metal clasps kept the piping attached to the hallway walls until it went upward and disappeared into the ceiling.

Gavin took the last few steps with flourish before coming to a slow stop. Letting out a little ‘huh’, he plucked the cigarette from his mouth, lowering his hand numbly. He raised his hand and looked at the time on his phone. Well, that ended that adventure. At least that killed a half hour. He placed the light back onto his lip and bounced it by rolling his jaw, turning away.

But when he did, he noted a soft glow streaking across the floor from the corridor around the corner. Ticking his head, he backpedaled and looked down the wider and taller walkway. He looked around as if making sure the coast was clear before slowly making his way closer to the source of the glow.

He had four more hours to kill so shit, he might as well do his job and "patrol." Shoving his hands into his pockets and slumping over ever so slightly, with the company of his echoing footsteps, his racing with no end in sight thoughts, and the embers on his dwindling smoke, he walked on. The glow became brighter as he continued on. He looked up from the ground, his steps slowing.

Gavin wasn’t so sure if this was what he was supposed to be doing. Every man and woman had the basic childish instinct of ‘oh shit I’m not supposed to be here.’ whether it be in a room of strangers as they spoke about things that went completely over one's head, the staff room, or before a superior's desk.

And right now, it was the restricted personnel only signs that were yelling at him to turn around and walk _the fuck_ away.

But the ever so curious heart always got what it wanted.

The corridor gave way to a large cavernous room.

Gavin walked into the room, highlighted in blue light, and stopped in his tracts. The cigarette butt fell numbly from his lips. In the center of the room, where all the tubes and pipes led to a central cylindrical tank, his eyes focused on the thing inside of it floating in the light blue liquid. Was it thirium?

“Holy shit…” He breathed.

Cyberlife was a growing empire along with the promise of a new era of androids, it was no surprise that they would have fucked up side projects like this.

Gavin’s throat had gone dry, his body on autopilot as he ever so slowly walked forward. One foot in front of the other.

His eyes never left the tank, and the...the thing floating in the light blue liquid that he had noted from the pipes in the hallway. 

Half man with a tail of a fish.

A fucking merman.

He was...he was guarding this _thing_?

Gavin stopped just before the glass, peering up at the slumbering android suspended by a main mechanical line into the back of its neck. Thinner electrical lines ran into each upper and lower arm. Another four led into his tail, the remaining two with three thin wires ran into his back.

The LED on its right temple swirled a calm blue, round, and round. His, at least that's what he assumed it was by the physical appearance, features were sharp. A handsome nose along with a wide yet firm jaw. Bubbles that floated from the bottom of the tank caught on his eyelashes traveled along their length before floating along their journey. Deep brown hair of not too long length weaved in the water.

His eyes trailed along the rest of his body, his arms were strong and toned. If he moved ever so slightly, he could see little luminescent flares under the surface of pale skin.

His hands were slightly webbed between the fingers, long nails sharpened to a perfected point.

The android’s abdomen was built as well, designed with artificial muscles that flexed as the thing suddenly twitched, jolting Gavin from his observations.

“ _Phck_.”

Again, it twitched its tail, moving to curl in a perfect circle. Was it dreaming?

Gavin released his held breath and looked up to his eyes, making sure it was still in stasis. Because now he wanted to look at the tail presented before him.

His torso disappeared into the soft white of his tail that bled into gray towards the end. The tail itself was twice the length of his upper body. Along with the primary fin that fanned into a graceful chevron shape, two other fins floated at where a human's hips would be if he had them.

Gavin swallowed the dry lump in his throat. Jesus Christ, this thing was...remarkable. Handsome too.

Gavin shook himself from his observations and placed a hand on his mouth and the other on his hip.

No, _no,_ this was way outta his league. He had to tell Fowler about this. He-he couldn't holy fuck, he _couldn't_. He signed something, something about a gag order, rolling his eyes, not bothering to read it.

He knew not reading the file given to him would bite him in the ass.

Did it fucking mention a fucking merman? The word 'experimental' was used too lightly, in his opinion. This was someone playing god.

Gavin stepped closer, placing his hand on the glass, it was cold, the heat of his hand causing condensation to bloom from his fingers. Along with the touch, the glass suddenly activated, specs and numbers flickered across the surface. He drew his hand back as if it had been burned and looked closer to the softly glowing blue of the information.

He couldn't understand half of the numbers, but he knew that the few bobbing lines tracked vitals. He had seen those before when an android had been put up for repairs at the precinct.

And like other androids, it seemed like this guy ran on thirium as well. The water levels were an optimum mix of thirium and purified water to keep the android sterile. There were other menues that offered graphs and coding that scrolled too quickly to be read. Suddenly it stopped.

_“RK900 online.”_

This wasn’t just a data status interface. Gavin creased his eyebrows together and reluctantly glanced up at him. He fucking woke the thing up.

Gavin wasn't known to be a pussy. But maybe he backed away falling flat on his ass with an unmanly yelp, but never would he run away. If anything, his fight or flight instincts created another option: freeze in place and hope for the best.

The merman's eyes were open. Light blue, stormy grays stared down at him, seemingly looking through him with a confused yet critical eye. The LED on the side of its head swirled from blue to a processing yellow.

Gavin's breath slowed to something he could control. Pulling one leg towards himself, he sat up looking the merman up and down. He pointed at it. "Can-can you talk?" He asked firmly. Tried to. The stutter would be ignored.

He stared back at him, ticking his head to the side ever so slightly, eyes narrowing. He unfurled his tail, traveling down to the bottom of the tank to glare at him more clearly. Webbed hands pressed against the tank, the clawed nails tip-tapping on the surface.

Gavin eyed those claws and gulped nervously. “O-Okay...can you understand _me?_ ”

An ever so barely-there smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth before he pushed against the glass to raise himself into the original "standing" position he had found him in.

Gavin blinked, staring at the now empty space.

Alright, so that was a “yes”?

He shook his head and refocused on the android, realizing that he was still on the ground. With a curse, he hefted himself up and walked up to the tank, pointing a finger into the glass. "So, what the fuck are you? Some sort of prototype or what? Someone's wet dream?"

The android sharply looked down at him in disgust before rolling his eyes in a too human show of disapproval. He made a show of sighing, or at least that's what Gavin thought, before he closed his eyes, suspended himself in the light blue of the liquid rather comfortably. Or as comfortably as he could.

Gavin leaned to the side, noting the way the electrical lines easily twisted and curled around his arms and tail if he moved too much as if trapping him in a widow's web. If he remained still, they too did the same. Or was he assuming just too much?

"Got a name?" He tried.

The android opened his eyes, bothered by his insistent presence. It made Gavin realize he was annoying, and yeah, he didn't know why he was attempting to communicate with the damned thing. For all he cared, this whole gig was just a reason to shorten his suspension time and keep him sane. 

Who cared what the fuck this thing was? Who cared if it had a name or what sort of bells and whistles it had. He could have turned around and said fuck it and be on his way with a smoke and his thoughts. But he didn't. And he didn't know why.

And it pissed him off.

The merman tapped at the glass halfheartedly, his expression alone telling him that he was already growing bored of him.

It had a smirk coming over the detective's lips.

Pissing off this guy was kinda funny. It's not like he could do anything to rid him. What? Hop out of the tank and strangle him? Fucker would be a fish out of water. Would he?

The smirk turned into something mischievous as he looked at the glowing blue specs once more. Again the android tapped at the glass. Twice.

Gavin narrowed his eyes in question. Once more the android rolled his eyes tapping the glass a little more insistently. Twice once more.

“Oh.” Gavin all but muttered in realization and tapped the glass twice. Immediately the menus went away, and in flickering blue "RK900 Online" was on the glass once more.

“Just RK900?” He looked up to him. “Not Joe Blow? Henry? Bobby?”

The android placed a hand over his eyes before lowering it. Annoyance seemed to have bled to melancholy, and for a moment, Gavin felt for the android. He didn't have a fucking name? His eyes lowered to the flickering blue of letters and numbers. He swallowed the lump in his throat before he looked back up to the android.

“Nines?” Gavin offered. “What about Nines?”

The merman creased his eyebrows together in question, side-eyeing him in doubt. Fanning his fin and pressing himself against the glass, he lowered himself so that he was face to face with him. Gavin pulled away ever so slightly. Yeah, being this close to the fucker was...was terrifying. But exciting.

He had found something he felt like he wasn’t supposed to discover. That sensation of ‘turn the fuck back’ now was gone. It was now full speed ahead.

Even as he was scrutinized with a glare, Gavin smirked. "Nines it is then."

Nines opened his mouth and sighed, something moving on the sides of his neck as he did so.

“Yeah, sorry bud, you’re stuck with me for a while. So get used to my charm and ever so handsome face.” He huffed.

Gavin was used to one-sided conversations. For the rest of the week, Nines heard him go on and on about the weather, sports, and gossip at the precinct. He spoke about the time he picked up a guy at the bar with the most gorgeous dick he had ever seen all the way to traffic getting here.

Anything and everything and Nines eventually accepted his torture. But tonight was different.

He turned his back on Nines plucking a smoke from the pack tapping the end of the butt on nearby piping before placing it on his lip.

Not a word. Just the steady sound of his breathing and the crackle of embers on the end of his smoke when he took in a nice long drag.

Last night was one of the rare nights. Instead of turning around in the bed to look at his hook up's back and pretend that they were together, he too was looking back at him. He fucking hated it. The sex was gentle. He took care with his touches.

Gavin hated it.

Because those soft touches meant something. At least when he was taken harshly he knew they didn't care, they would forget about him just like he would. He was but a no-name fuck. And that was fine by him.

Sure he got off. But Gavin had turned his back on him. It was cruel, but he was glad he left minutes after. Gavin wasn't one to find solace in a slow and sensual fuck. When feelings became involved, that's when everything was shot to shit.

Because there was a difference between pretending they cared and knowing they cared.

There were rare nights, and each time it made him think of how fucked up he had gotten. All the shit he had done. He was never this bad. Rock bottom was just a challenge to see if he could go further.

Tonight he just didn’t want to talk. Tonight he just wanted to be close to someone. Silence spoke loud tonight instead of him.

Curiously, if not with a bit of disapproval, Nines peered over his shoulder.

The motion was caught in the corner of his eyes. “Phck off, fish.” He murmured with a single shouldered shrug. He took a drag of his cigarette.

Nines pushed himself away from the glass crossing his arms. Gavin huffed, smoke trailing from his nostrils. "Yeah, you ain't the first to look at me like that. If anything, it's funny by now."

It was Gavin’s turn to slide down the glass to sit his ass down on the ground. He pulled another drag, pulled his leg towards his chest, and draped his wrist over his knee.

He tilted his head back, blowing out the smoke with a slow and steady exhale. "Yeah…" He rumbled again, closing his eyes. The sound of water being dispersed behind him made him open his eyes with creased eyebrows. He turned to his side, realizing Nines was sitting on the bottom of the tank next to him. He narrowed his eyes at that.

But what caught him off guard was how he sat with his hands in his lap, his LED swirling a slow and steady yellow. His eyes remained focused on Gavin and Gavin alone. His tail was lifted and pushed back down every so often, gills opening and closing along the side of his neck.

The damned thing was mesmerizing. It was like watching a real fish in a tank. Round and round it went.

But not this fish.

Gavin looked away, pressed the finger pads of his thumb, and forefinger into his eyes in exasperation. "Stop lookin' at me like that."

After a testing moment, he looked back up.

He didn't, and it pissed him off.

"You know what?" He turned, pointing at him with his cigarette. "Why the fuck do you care, huh?" Was he projecting onto the poor fuck? Yeah, maybe a bit. "Think you can look through that glass like I look at you? Like I'm the experiment too?"

Nines blinked slowly, gills opening and closing, LED continuing to swirl a steady yellow.

Gavin shook his head a scoff of irritation, leaving his lips as he looked away. "The fuck would you know?"

He took another drag, but the rush of nicotine couldn't ease the nerves that continued to grow and grow. His hand eventually began to shake.

"He can't see how more fucked up I get, and all he has to say is I'm rotting away at a bar…" He missed his father. The real one that gave a damn. But never would he admit that out loud. Shit wasn't worth it anymore.

"You know what? I ain't sorry…" He huffed and sucked a short puff of his cigarette. "Bastard had it coming, said some nasty shit 'bout Tina and Stacy. Said he would do some bad shit to them." Should he have minded his own business? Should he have kept out of it? He knew what the guy was capable of, and he would do it too. Just like the district attorney. So no. Gavin was protecting the few he cared for.

“I ain’t sorry…”

Having Nines look at him through the thick glass wasn’t doing anything to help. He was too on the spot. Revealed and naked.

And yet he kept going. Kept spewing shit out. He couldn’t stop the endless fountain of words that trembled from his lips.

His lips curled into something twisted and humorless.

"Best part, fish fry? He gets off with just a slap on the wrist, and I get to shovel the shit." He hissed gesturing to the large room. "Always been like that, since day fuckin' one." He bounced his hand with each word, the embers falling to the floor.

Gavin _Reed_ made orphan because of two red ice heads. Always the poor kid in class. Foster home to foster home. Getting into fights with the cool kids because he stuck up for the ones they push down. But who stuck up for him when he was the one that got pushed down? No one, that's who.

He tried doing good. And look where it was getting him. Rock bottom city.

The detective flicked his thumb across his nose. A habit he had when he got particularly upset or too sensitive about certain topics.

So. Why the fuck was he unloading all of this?

He was this close to just abandoning his post leaving for the bar for some cheap whiskey. He needed something more reliable to distract himself from his thoughts. A cigarette and his racing thoughts was a losing battle.

“This has gotta be the worst pity party ever.” Gavin all but laughed bitterly. “Shit gets too much sometimes. No one there to catch you, you know? Just gotta push it down and keep going.”

Another pause and his voice was barely a rasp. “But that wears you down too.”

Gavin wasn’t expecting an answer. And he was thankful this time around. He liked the silence tonight. Just for tonight. With a deep intake of air, he snuffed out his cigarette on the metal piping next to him and crowned his forehead with hands shoving down the sting to his eyes.

“I may not know of your pain,” the voice was warm like the sun. Smooth like honey and dripping with cashmere. It was unexpected, the voice halting the rush of thoughts right in their tracks. “But I find your trust in me something I should honor.”

A bitter smile crawled across his lips as he bowed his head, fingers carding through his hair. Nines' voice was muffled ever so slightly by the glass, but his voice was just as handsome as he was.

He huffed a laugh. "Yeah?" He dropped his hands from his forehead. He didn't turn around to face the android that he thought couldn't speak. "You're a fish in a tank."

He faced him and was met with a beautifully soft, assuring smile. Gavin fell. Hard. His voice was soft. "Usually, they don't talk back…"

Nines’ smile grew. “I’m afraid this one does.”

Two nights later and spare conversations later, Gavin got brave. "Can I ask you something?"

“Only if I am allowed a question.” The merman swam another loop in the tank before settling next to the human crossing his arms as he shot him a mocking glance of consideration and thought.

Gavin stopped his pacing to stand with his legs apart, fist shoved into his leather jacket. The other held a half drank fifth cup of coffee with two espresso shots. Add that with three hours of sleep was what his body was functioning on tonight. He needed something to keep him occupied. "Alright, asshole, two can play at this game."

Pleased with himself, he smiled, turning so that he swam back up to the top of the tank. Gavin watched mesmerized by the way his tail swirled in the water as he swam. No, not swimming, _dancing_.

Gavin cleared his throat, looking up to him with a smirk. "Why did you wait so long to open your mouth?"

Nines paused, suspended in the water with his arms raised. Bubbles came from the gills in the sides of his neck. He ticked his head in question. Gavin noted the way his LED circled a yellow before it settled on a blue. He seemed humored and pleasantly caught off guard.

“I do not talk to the others.”

"Really?" Gavin narrowed his eyes, reached for the coffee, and sucked down a few gulps. "I call bullshit."

“You do know too much caffeine is bad for you, correct, detective?”

He shot him a glance that warned him to answer or else.

Nines rolled his eyes, relenting. "It is true." He said in a matter of factly voice as he smoothed his hand over his tail, preening himself. "Amanda strictly told me not to speak to anyone other than her." He lifted his fin in his hands, spreading out the thin, almost see-through material.

He made a note of the name and remembered it. "And what made you decide to break it, fish fry?"

"You were different." He 'dropped' his gray colored fin when he had sunk too low in the tank for his liking. Swaying it front to back, he rose once more to his full impressive eight-foot height. "It is hard to distinguish you, humans, after all. Two feet and such."

"Well, gee, thanks." He murmured though he couldn't deny the way his insides felt like they were curling around one another. Gavin took another sip of his coffee to squash those sensations down.

 _Feelings fuck everything up_.

“My turn.”

Gavin lowered the coffee cup. “Your turn?”

“Yes, I have a question as well.”

“Fine. Shoot.” Gavin puffed out his cheeks as he sighed tiredly.

“Why are you here?”

A bark of laughter had his nose wrinkling and tilting his head back. He looked back up to the merman lifting the hand that held his coffee, pointed a finger at him, and bounced it. "Told you, you would get tired of me, fish fry."

"Not at all. DPD records indicate you are serving a case for shortened suspension time. You have also made a note of-."

"I get it, okay? You're a supercomputer fish."

Nines glared at the human. “Observant.” He corrected. “Must I remind you of your pity party as you called it?”

“No.” He shot venomously. “That was just a mess up, that’s all.”

Nines sank so that he was eye level with the detective, ticking his head to the side. Those stormy blues observed him closely. He didn’t mind. He liked the way Nines looked at him like that from time to time. It was as if he cared about him.

He could pretend.

Those nights laying next to a one night stand was the only time he could pretend. He couldn't know if this was true or not. Not with this beautiful fucking android. It would hurt just too much. So he pretended like he always did.

He didn't like that confession made to himself one bit. He looked to Nines, making sure he hadn't been betrayed by his mouth and spewed those words. Thankfully it didn't.

“You know you can talk to me, detective. After all, fish don’t talk back.”

Gavin smirked, huffing a small little laugh. It was the kind of smile that showed off his too sharp canines, and he saw the way Nines flicked his eyes down to them. Observing their pointed tips.

Yeah, Gavin liked it when he looked at him like that.

He sucked down the last of his coffee, the grinds rubbing his throat the wrong way, causing him to shiver.

He lowered the cup tapping his finger against the side a few good times to rid of the tense energy he felt. He liked the dull, empty sound it made echoing around him. "Hadn't fucked in a couple of weeks, you know?" He confessed but cringed, realizing how shallow he sounded. "I mean...usually helps with everything. Like you know how it is, Nines- _anyway_.” He shook his head in frustration. “But I don’t need to. Just something feels wrong. But a good kind of wrong.”

"And why is that?" Nines all but hummed genuinely. It was said in a way that had Gavin knowing he knew the answer, and he was quite smug about it.

Gavin stepped forward, placing his cup on a nearby metal work table. Too clean and precise. He nibbled on his bottom lip for a little while. "I don't know." He lied.

“You’re lying.”

Gavin smirked though it was something bitter. "You know when I first got this gig, I thought that this would be a waste of my time. Thought this," he gestured around him with a hand before it slapped to his side. "Was a joke, but…"

Nines was looking at him in a way that would make him so fucking scared he refused to meet his eyes. He saw it in the corner of his eye. He knew when Nines’ tail froze it meant he was focusing on something intently.

And usually, it was him.

“You’re lonely.”

He wasn't angry. If nothing, it stung. But the truth did that sometimes if not always. So he nodded and refused to meet those stormy blue eyes that held him hostage.

“Perhaps you have found company with another who doesn’t intend to do the same with you. Perhaps you do not need the whiskey or another to use.”

Gavin pursed his lips together tightly.

“Maybe you just wanted someone to listen.”

It was a week later when Gavin all but swaggered into the corridor. "Hey, fish fry! Happy to see my-?" The words died on his lips because normally Nines would be swimming and twirling and practically dancing on air, or water rather when he greeted him with a chaste smile and a wave of a webbed hand. But he wasn't doing any of that.

The tank was empty, where he usually 'stood'. So where the fuck…? His eyes fell to the bottom of the tank.

The deeper colored blue of thirium swirled upwards from the many wounds that littered a very prone Nines.

A jolt of adrenaline clenched his heart. He rushed forward, his heavy footfalls echoing around him. “Nines?! Nines! Fuck!”

Gavin slapped his hands at the glass to stop his all too quick approach, his chest heaving from the gulps of air he was taking in. “Nines? Nines buddy? C’mon man, don’t do this to me.” He groaned, looking about the tank searching for access. “Don’t make me come in there, fish fry.”

His voice cracked. What the fuck did they do to the android? Had someone busted in and got to him? First off, Nines would have been entirely gone if that were the case. Why leave with just doing harm? They would have taken Nines if they were after him. Second, the guard prior would have warned him. They would have said something.

So was this just the norm? Or did they just not care?

He placed his hands against the glass, tapping at it more than the two times needed to activate the display. He exchanged hectic glances between the merman and the glass. Flicking through the schematics and numbers he came to a menu that monitored the thirium infused water. A prompt lit up the screen to cycle the water through. Another gave him the option to drain the tank entirely.

He all but tapped at it a little too harshly.

Machinery clunked and shivered under the floor, and Gavin took a hesitant step back. Slowly the water level began to drop through slotted grates at the bottom of the tank.

"C'mon, c'mon…" He muttered impatiently. When the water level became more than halfway, the glass itself began to slowly sink into the floor.

Another agonizingly long moment later, Gavin stepped onto the platform and scrambled onto his knees, lifting the android into his arms as he sat down. "Hey, hey, I gotcha. I have ya." He didn't care that he was now properly soaked. All that he cared about was holding Nines close.

And it was then he realized for the first time he held the android in his arms. But it was not at all how he would have imagined it.

“ _Nines_!” He slapped his cheek a few times to rouse him. His eyes traveled to the LED that cycled on the side of his temple. It pulsed a steady red. A color he had never seen on Nines’ temple before.

With keening sounds of distress, he shucked off his jacket and draped it across the merman in an attempt to comfort him. As if it would bring him to. He cradled his face with his hand, gripping his jaw to shake his head ever so slightly.

His heart all but leaped to his throat when shadowy blue eyes blinked rapidly and finally focused to look up to forest green eyes. A flick of a smile came to his lips.

“Detective...to what do I owe this pleasure?” The way his voice was too raspy and distant had his hands shaking, his heart ready to explode in his throat.

“What the fuck did they do to you?!” He asked, shaking his head.

His eyebrows drew together in confusion before he took note of where he was. His eyes circled around the room until they fell on him once more. "Something out of the normal practices, I'm afraid."

No shit. “ _Nines_.” He warned.

"Amanda grows restless," he murmured. Who the fuck was this Amanda? He had mentioned her before and thought nothing of her, but now that she had to do something with the way he bled out of countless wounds. Yeah, he gave a damn now.

Nines swallowed, and Gavin noted the way an artificial Adam's apple bobbed in his throat. "She went on and on about her funders backing out of...this. _Me_." He rasped.

Gavin didn't like where this was going. "So she did this?"

"The morality of her experiment seems to be questioned, so she proved them correct." He rasped. "The tests were a last-ditch effort, I'm afraid."

To get rid of him.

"You're not a fucking experiment," Gavin assured, maybe a bit desperately tugging the jacket lower in an attempt to comfort more of his body. "N-not something to throw away. You hear me?" His eyes trailed down to his tail. The normal flicks and hypnotic swaying of his tail suspended in water were traded for unhealthy twitches as if something mechanical within was on the fritz.

He looked back down to the android in growing worry, brushing back the dripping locks of honey brown hair from his eyes and forehead. “What can I do to help you, fish fry?”

Nines eyes opened once more, irises gently flicking this way and that as they drank him in. Gavin couldn't hide the red that came to his cheeks. If this were any other moment, he would have addressed him with a curt snarky remark. But the way he closed his eyes again and rasped out a single word had him nodding and moving.

Thirium.

"Right...Right." Gently, he slid himself from under Nines and laid him down on the bottom of the tank. He considered him once more and took off his sweater, bunching it up into a ball and putting it under his head. "Up there, right?"

He nodded.

"Just hold on, alright?" He murmured. He looked up to the ceiling of the tank noticing the wires that hung limply. He examined them, picking one of the thinner ones that he remembered trailing into the back of his neck.

He pulled it experimentally and was rewarded with the give that came. He pulled, lowering himself next to Nines. Gently he tilted his head to the side and felt along the back of his spine.

The merman in his arms shivered unpleasantly as he found the port. In doing so, tanned, freckled skin bled away to reveal pearl white plastimetal.

"O-okay...okay." He assured himself pressing on a circular outline of a port cover. Gently it clicked open. Matching up the shape with the line in his hand, he secured it into place. A gasp and slight twitch of his body was the response as machinery above whirred to life.

He gathered the merman into his arms again and brushed his hand through his hair in comfort. “Now what? What else, Nines? What can I do?”

The android shook his head. "Now, we wait. Nannites will begin to heal internal and external damages."

“How long will that take?”

The android's eyes became distant for a moment before they refocused on him once more. "Approximately twenty-five minutes."

At least it was a number to work with. At least he knew he would be alright. But the thought of harm being done to him in the effort of ridding him. It made him realize just how much this fucking android meant to him. And it scared him more.

This wasn't just pretending anymore.

“Nines.” He swallowed the lump in his throat. Now that the danger of losing Nines was...under control. He asked the burning question on the back of his mind. “What did...what did Amanda do? Who is she?” The name felt terrible on his tongue. Worst than the first shot of whiskey of the night. “What are they doing here? With you?” He clarified.

"My creator," He rumbled. "Amanda Stern."

It sounded disgusting from his mouth too. Why would someone want to get rid of what they created? HE scoffed at the irony. It was a question he wanted to ask his parents, too.

"It was just basic functions when she first started. She was praised for how I would change the world. Make deep-sea exploration revolutionary. Perhaps even save people's lives." He murmured. "I was her proud accomplishment."

Gavin listened intently to his tired and raspy voice. He smoothed one of his hands along the nape of his neck, mindful of the wire that led into the base.

“At first it was education, learning and adapting to cultures, talking and learning of the life… _out there.”_ He didn't like how his voice turned dark. "Like you do…" A warm smile graced his lips for a moment, but he hated how the woman's mention wiped it from his face.

“But she became obsessed. Became frantic. You humans and your money and time.” He bitterly spat. “It has never become this bad. Today she tested my limits, how long I could withstand water pressure until I suffocated. If I reacted to external stimuli of the painful sort.”

His eyes fell away. “She wanted to know if I could speak. If I could beg.”

Gavin's hand smoothed along his shoulder to the side of his chest and along his abdomen. It stopped at a relatively nasty open wound. It wasn't healing as quickly as the merman promised it would. He felt anger. He felt sadness and guilt, all wrapped up into one ugly emotion all at once.

“Nines, I’m so sorry I...I had no idea what they would be doing here to you. If I hadn’t agreed-.”

"Then, I would not have met you." He snapped sharply. "Hearing of the world outside through _your_ voice. Feeling a touch like this. Meeting a _good_ person like you.” His voice fell.

No, he had no idea what he had done in his life. He had no clue how nasty he could be when he wanted to. “You can't say I’m nice because you haven't met anyone else.” Gavin wasn’t a good person. He hid his insecurities with dark humor and a quick lashing tongue. He coped with his past by stomping it down and boxing it away. He dealt with the pain of never amounting to anything with one night stands and alcohol.

Or that's just what he told himself to prevent anyone from getting too close. His hand lifted away from the wound as if allowing it space to heal. He watched as ivory skin pulsed around the wound, the artificial skin incomplete as it attempted to close around the open space. Plastimetal continued to shine underneath.

"The others had left me to die, but you helped me." It was enough to get his point across because it had successfully made him look him in the eye. It was only because he gave a damn for the guy while the others were assholes. They hadn't gotten the privilege to talk to him like he had. Earn his trust and to know him like he did.

"Because at least I'm a decent fucking human being." Despite being a cop, he felt like he didn't do a lot to defend the innocent like he had always done, and would do when he was first placed in the academy by Fowler.

He had gotten the last word in on that debate. At least the android knew when to fold his cards. Gavin didn’t back down when it came to his opinions.

Gavin smoothed his hand over his side and abdomen once more. Bravely he unfurled the side fin, so it rested against his tail neatly. "Looks like you're not the only one with mommy issues, huh?" Gavin berated himself with those choices of words. Out of all the possibilities, his brain settled on those choices of words.

But it wasn’t all for loss. The breath of laughter, despite bitter, fell from his lips and eased his mind. “Mommy issues.” He agreed.

Gavin situated the jacket over his chest and abdomen once more. He didn't care that it was soaked so long as it gave his friend much-needed comfort. "If that bitch was here…"

“You would have done nothing. You do not know of the power she has.”

“Everyone shits the same way.”

“Gavin, stop being difficult…”

He grinned though it was bitter. “You forget I’m a fucking cop.”

“These are matters out of your hands, _Detective._ " The way he said it was as if he was reminding him that yeah, he was a no-name boy in blue with a badge. And that was that. He was hot-headed, and he was put in his place.

"Phck." He spat, ticking his head to the side angrily. He held Nines all the more closer, shaking his head as he bit his bottom lip in frustration. "They won't get away with this…" He placed his hand over his forehead, comforting the android.

"They will because no one besides you and two other guards knows what happens in this place. I speak to no one but you. This is where I was born, and this will be my grave."

Yeah, that scared him. The thought of never seeing Nines again was terrifying. “Shut _the fuck_ up. Don't fucking talk like that." His voice was loud and growled. Even if he was angry, he made the discovery that Nines was slowly gaining his strength back. If he could bite back when Gavin did, he was surely on the way of being, well, not dead.

It became silent for a moment, and Gavin wondered how long Nines could last out of the water. He didn't need to breathe. He at least picked that up out of the many nights he had regretted asking him about his abilities. Something along the lines of water cycling through his body to cool his internals but nothing more.

His thoughts ran in circles before he settled on his final thought and voiced it aloud. He let his hand slip from Nine’s forehead.

“I will get you out of here.”

Nines ticked his head towards him again. “What?” He creased his eyebrows together in confusion and disbelief.

“You heard me, fish fry. You don’t deserve to be locked up like this.” Nines was...he was a good person. Not him. He deserved to live _out there_. Not in a too-small fish tank where every day, his limits were tested more and more. Purposely so until he broke.

"I am an experiment. Of course, I am. Now don't tell me Gavin Reed's morals are growing three times their size today."

He growled. “Shut up, asshole. You’re alive. You’re real. And this isn’t right. And you fucking know it.” He regretted being so blunt because with those words came the cycling of yellow on his LED.

The detective thought he had caused harm rather than good because he stared at him in something akin to awe and disgust.

It was when he spoke again he felt mild relief. “You are the only one that has ever said that to me.” The android leaned into the human, shuffling his head into the crook of his arm and closing his eyes. He felt safe enough to curl in his arms and rest.

It had his heart doing funny things. It broke. It swelled into his throat. Had it dry. His eyes ran the length of his body, his hand smoothing out the other crooked dorsal fin. Finally, he found his wits and cleared his throat. "That you're an asshole?" Gavin's tone was dull and monotone, too hypnotized by his own hand to travel along the android's body. "It's because you only talk to me for whatever god knows reason."

A pleasant hum vibrated his chest and throat. In humor? In pleasure? “That I’m alive.”

Gavin noted that he calmly flicked his tail every so often to let the human know he was still attentive but not alert. He took this time to feel his tail taking care to avoid the countless wounds. Up close made were made with something sharp. A blade or scalpel of sorts. Others seemed to have been made with electricity. As if with a cattle prod.

His hand paused, thumb smoothing over the area where skin met scales and then continued back downward. Its smooth scaly texture caused his fingers to dip and rise along the surface. If his touches were bothering him, he made no note of it.

His hand rounded over where his thighs would be if he were human. He flicked his eyes back to Nines, making sure that what he was doing was comfortable with the android.

"Are you alright?" The silence was a bit too much. "Do you need to get into the water again?"

“Not yet, please.” He opened his eyes. Stormy blues looking up to forest green. “I have never been touched like this before. I find it...pleasant.”

A flick of a smile came to his lips but was traded for bitter sadness. He had never felt the comfort of a hand simply moving over skin? How sad. Either had he. “How’s the pain?” He asked softly.

“Your touches help. But I’m faring better.”

Gavin nodded. "Good...good…." Through the next hour, he sat at the bottom of the holding tank, soaked and cold but never pulling away until the android's wounds had healed. He was sure the android slipped into some sort of state of sleep. The LED on the side of his head pulsed a steady blue as if he were on standby. The fact he was so comfortable and trusted Gavin enough to accidentally slip off had his chest tightening and his stomach doing weird flip flops.

Gavin didn’t know if he was falling or if he just felt vulnerable.

But was there really a difference between the two? 

“Can I ask you something?” He stood before the tank firmly.

“Only if I am allowed a question.”

That night, when Nines laid in his arms for the rest of the night as he healed, Gavin silently promised the android he would get him out of this hell hole. Get him to a safer place.

“What do you want most in life?”

Nines blinked. “Well now,” He all but flattened out his fin in a nervous habit. “I wasn’t expecting that question.”

“You don’t gotta get all philosophical on me. Just tell me what you want.” He said, shrugging one shoulder.

Gavin watched as he thought about it for a moment. He crossed his arms, ticking his head to the side, his LED cycling between yellow and blue. Finally, he resorted on his answer. "Would it be cliche of me to say freedom?"

“Nope.” He popped the ‘p’ in the word. “Fuck, if I were you, I would too, man.”

"Also," He interjected. The heaviness and quiet of his voice stopped Gavin from bringing the cigarette to his lips for another drag. "I want...I want to see the sunset." He whispered. "I want to see what the sky looks like when orange and pink light up a blue sky. I want to see it over the water. To feel the warmth it has." He nodded his head, looking to Gavin bashfully.

"Yeah…" He ticked his head to look down at the floor of the tank.

The promise he made him that night came to the forefront of his mind once again. Somehow and in some way, he would fucking bust him out of here. He would get him his fucking sunset.

“You will see it someday, Nines.” Gavin murmured blinking, taking a pull of his ciggarette. “I promise.”

The smile was genuine, enough so to have crows feet crease at the corner of his eyes. He was beautiful, and it did strange things to his stomach that he had never felt before. Sure, he could get a thrill from flirting with someone half-drunk but not like this. This was something else entirely, and it fucking scared him.

But he welcomed it for what it was.

Hesitantly, he placed a hand to the glass swallowing the lump in his throat that he knew was his heart ready to escape. Nines lovingly considered the gesture and placed a webbed hand to his.

“Gavin…?” He murmured, his thumb sweeping across the glass. It made his stomach tie into knots. “Why did you give me my name?” He murmured, his voice all but rumbling even more deeply through the glass.

"That's another question," Gavin smirked in victory but only halfheartedly. His voice was low and quiet, as well. "I'll answer only if I'm allowed to ask another one."

“Fair. We can play this game again.”

Gavin curled his fingers in a fist and pulled his hand back from the glass. "It felt right, you know?" He said. "Something that doesn't have a name is kinda...sad. Lonely, you know? If you don't like it you don't have to-"

“No, no, I enjoy it.” He confessed wholeheartedly. “I rather be called someone than something.”

Gavin nodded a fond smile coming across his lips. "There you go, man."

"We're really going to make a thing of this, aren't we?"

"Perhaps, human. His gills opened, releasing bubbles as he smirked. "Were you always named Gavin?"

He laughed, a sound deep from his throat as he brushed his thumb across his nose. A habit he formed when things became a bit too awkward. "Yeah, yeah, I was. My orphan story ain't that deep."

“I was curious.”

"Yeah." And he didn't mind it one bit. The conversation died there, but he didn't mind it. Another would soon pop up like it always had. They always filled the silence with something. Even with silence itself or Gavin talking away about the glory days, stories from his job, or the times at the bar.

And Nines filled it with what he dreamed of seeing one day. Questions of the outside world.

Gavin would answer anything. What was a circus like? What was a library? Did the pages smell like what his database said? What did they _feel_ like? Were guns as scary as they were? 

He had shown him his own hand gun to that question. They were and Gavin never had intent to use his. Ever.

Nines asked more questions after that. What was fresh air like? Water not made pure with thirium? What did the sensation of electricity in the air before a storm feel like? Trees, flowers, animals, and humans.

“Doesn’t Amanda tell you?”

"I don't speak to her. She made me have the ability to speak, but I never had a desire to speak to her."

“Don’t blame you.” Gavin settled his jaw tightly hesitant to voice his question. “Has she been…?”

“Not as severe, but yes. Perhaps more of the mental kind, if anything."

Gavin sneered, giving him a pointed glare. “Don’t listen to a goddamn thing she says, you hear me?”

Nines considered him with a halfhearted tired smile. “Don’t worry about me. Shouldn’t you be going now, detective?”

And that's what happened. The nights were becoming shorter and shorter, the more they spoke to one another. Time was just made up thing when they were together. Pretending it didn't exist so they could be with one another. He looked at his phone. It was past six in the morning.

"I will worry about you. You're-you're important to me." Gavin confessed putting his phone away. It was so easy to say, but it fell heavy from his lips. Gavin hesitantly glanced up to the merman and was pleased to see he hadn't reacted negatively to his confession. Instead, his expression grew fonder. 

"Of course." Nines murmured, placing a hand against the glass. This was their new way of connecting with one another. As a goodbye, as a hello, as a way to share what couldn’t be when touch just wasn’t available.

But this time, artificial skin glowed softly and peeled back to reveal pearly white plastimetal. In awe, Gavin stared at the hand and raised his own ever so carefully and slowly. “You are more to me than you know, Gavin.” He rumbled.

His heart felt like it was going to beat right out of his chest, his legs felt heavy, and he could have sworn his knee gave out a little. His eyes never struggled out of the hold of shadowy blues.

The smile that crossed his lips was in victory if not a bit humored by the way he was so starstruck. "Have a good morning, detective. I will see you tonight." He pulled his hand away, bowing his head in that respectful and polite manner he hated so fucking much because it made him so flustered.

"Yeah, yeah." Gavin finally pulled his hand away, clearing his throat, swiping his thumb across his nose. "You too, alright?" He got over himself quickly and smiled a crooked smirk. "I'll see you tonight."

Another month of glorified mall cop duty stretched before him. Not that he minded one bit. If anything, he was sad and reluctant to leave so soon. So, he made the most of the time he spent with the android. He came back later on that night, feeling lighter. Feeling more… _more._

The sensation of Nines returning his feelings for him had placed an odd pep in his step. Had him relaxing a bit more in the shower. Had him sleeping a few more hours extra.

Pretending that maybe…

No. He didn’t have to pretend anymore. This was real. Wasn’t it?

He walked into the large room arms out to his sides, smiling at Nines facing him in expectancy.

"Hey, fish fry. So get this. Traffic right? Fucking nuts. There was this asshole in his mustang, right? Trying to beat the yellow light, zoomed past me in the other lane. Almost hit me!"

He was too busy telling his story to notice the way the android stared at him, not saying a word or any indication he was listening. But Gavin carried on.

"So we met at the next light. I was all, 'Look, buddy, the fucking light doesn't mean go faster'!" He chuckled. "Then the guy was all like 'that's what your mom said last night'!"

"Well, you know mom's dead so. And it was a shitty ass mom joke. Figured it would give you a chuckle." He knew for a fact it would not give him a chuckle, but it would make him roll his eyes in an exasperated way that made such a thrill and glee come from him.

But he didn’t.

His shit-eating grin fell away from his face and morphed into concern. The merman was hooked up to wires and thirium lines again. And that never meant something good. Gavin stepped forward, placing a hand on the tank, giving it a few taps with his knuckles. "Hey, Nines, what's the matter? You're alright, right? Did...did _she_ do something?”

It had been two weeks since that incident, and Gavin had been meeting him every night with minor injuries. Nothing as life-threatening as before. Still didn't ease his mind. Nines said that Amanda had taken an interest in him again. Said she was apologizing for her cruelty and that it was a must. He was sure to tell the android that didn't know better than her words were a crock of shit.

He shook his head in confusion.

The android’s eyebrows pulled together in pain as he looked down at him.

He pressed his hand to the tank dragging it down. The lights from within the tank had his reflection staring back at him. Glittering green eyes and a soft expression he had never seen before on his face.

“Nines, babe, talk to me.” He realized it was the first time he had called him that name. “What the fuck did she do? Can-can you talk?”

His eyes kept looking between him and somewhere over his shoulder. Flicking back and forth frantically. His LED spun to red. Gavin got the hint quickly and turned around, drawing his hand gun. As soon as he did, a report cracked and echoed in the large room. But it wasn't from his glock. A sharp pain tore through his shoulder, ripping apart ligaments and muscle rendering his dominant arm useless. Gavin stumbled backward into the glass of the tank, his glock fumbling from his hand.

A curse fell from his lips, and his hand flew to cradle his shoulder.

“Gavin!” In his peripheral vision, he saw Nines swim to the bottom of the tank pressing his hands against the glass in alarm.

“You have been lying to me.” A voice from the shadows called. “You said no one interacted with you. But I knew better.”

Fire continued to bloom in his shoulder. He weakly sank lower, leaving behind a streak of red on the glass and revealing the crack in the glass where the bullet went through. The shadow came into the light, and Gavin sneered. Donned in small wedge heels and a dress fit for a business meeting of the century stepped forward a woman of deep, flawless ebony skin. Her hair was tied in neat small dreads and decorated with metal clasps. Her appearance was regal and powerful.

“Amanda Stern, right?”

She smiled with a single nod. “RK900 does not simply talk to just anyone.”

"Gavin, are you alright?" Nines pressed his hands against the tank following him as he sank to the floor where he sat heavily. "I didn't want to alarm you or her. It's my fault."

He gritted his teeth. “Shut up fish fry, I got this.” He didn’t.

Her voice made them both look back up to Amanda. “So, it’s you that has taken a liking to my creation.”

"What can I say? I'm attracted to hot guys with hot tail." He smirked, and her frown deepened in disgust and disappointment. The woman stopped a good distance away, leveling the small handgun directly at his head with a confident aim.

"You have been a bother to my project and have compromised my android. Because of you, RK900 has grown a will of his own."

“Y-yeah?” Gavin smirked with a nod, brown locks of hair falling over his forehead. “That’s kinda what happens when you keep someone locked in a tank for months on end talking to an asshole like me. They kinda get pissed off.”

Her nose curled with a snarl. “What was I to do? They were to cut my funding. They called me crazy. That my idea wasn’t realistic.” Her voice grew louder until she realized how much it quivered. She swallowed uneasily. Another step and her finger hovered over the trigger.

Gavin eyed the mouth of the barrel, wincing as he lifted himself up to sit straighter. Behind him, the creak of the crack in the glass grew as the water pressure behind it challenged its dexterity. His eyes looked to his side. It was an idea, a stupid one. but it was all he had. "I was to show them RK900. But then...then _you_ came along and ruined what was going to be my greatest success.”

The thought of his life being threatened was the first in his mind. Rather it was getting Nines as far away from this crazy bitch as soon as possible. He was short of options. His gun had skidded too far away, and his dominant arm was shot. He could go for it, but then he would meet his maker with metal. And that was a big bummer.

Amanda flicked the safety off, gun remaining aimed at his head. “But that’s alright. I can start from the ground up. Start all over again.”

The crack in the glass grew larger. Without a second thought he acted. He raised his elbow to his good arm, clenched the fist and drove it back into glass. He didn't know whether or not his elbow or the glass cracked, but something gave way. When all that was felt was a nasty burn in his bones, he dropped his arm and thunked the back of his head against the tank.

"Not today, lady." Gavin took in the oh so satisfying look of horror across her face. The glass gave way with a violent snap. Thirium infused water came flowing forth.

Gavin pressed his back into the remaining part of the unbroken glass watching with wide and heavy exhales as the water poured over flooding the room. Beyond the rush of water, there was a shout of surprise and the firing of a gun. Somewhere to his right, the bullet hit metal. Didn't mean he didn't flinch. That bullet was meant for him.

When the flow of the water was no longer gushing over him and onto the floor, trickling onto his body instead and dwindled down to nothing, webbed fingers curled over the jagged edges of the tank. Gavin swallowed the lump in his throat and looked up. In all his fearsome eight-foot glory, Nines hung himself over the glass, his LED swimming between a flurry of red and yellow. Electrical wires and thirium lines ran into his body, snapping off one by one with dull hisses and clicks as he leaned forward.

Stormy blue eyes were focused on her and only her as he scrambled to reach for her handgun.

“Amanda.” He muttered her name with poison he had never heard before. A low hiss shook his throat as his fins fanned out and shivered in a display of aggravation and anger as he curled over Gavin protectively. He never once looked down to him, his focus solely on the woman that had been swept onto her ass by the rushing waters.

With a nasty snarl, he lunged forward, slithering across the ground like a deadly snake, clawing his nails into the concrete that reminded him of nails on a chalkboard. Where he slithered, blue blood followed. Amanda grasped for the gun nearby and spun, taking shots at the android. Even if a few met their mark, he continued his hunt, closing in on her quickly. He gripped her by the legs and hefted himself on top of her, pinning her arms to the ground.

“Get off of me! Obey me!”

Nines leaned forward, hissing in anger, slamming her hand that held the gun sharply into the ground. " _No_."

The merman lifted himself off of her and scrambled for the gun.

Dazed and bit woozy, Gavin slowly stood onto his feet using the tank's side to stand once more. When he managed to take a step forward without stumbling, he looked up in time to see Nines pressing the mouth of the barrel of the gun to Amanda's forehead.

His heart leaped into his throat and not in a good way. "Nines!" Gavin warned, reaching out, stumbling forward on unsteady feet.

“All the pain. All the suffering!” He cried out in a voice he had never heard before. It was choked and barely contained in his throat. Never once did he look back to him.

Gavin stumbled forward, holding his arm against the side of his body. A pained expression twisted his face. "I-I know man but-but, not like this. Let the justice system see to her. She'll get put away for all the illegal shit, alright? I fucking promise."

“You think you can lock me away just like that? Don’t listen to him! You and I both know I would become free.” Amanda snarled, continuing to struggle in the hold of the larger, stronger, android. "I would come back."

“Shut up, lady!” Gavin spat.

He looked back to Nines, raising his hands, his eyes pleading. "Listen, Nines...C'mon man. It's not gonna be worth it. Trust me. I know. You're just gonna get shoveled the dirt."

“Just like you?”

"Nah, the best thing that happened to me, man." He confessed with a flick of a smile at the corner of his lips.

Ever so slowly, the android uncurled his finger from the trigger and snarled, striking the butt of it across her head. It wasn't a hard hit, but it made the woman silent and still.

"Promise she sees justice. For everything." His voice was a low murmur. His tail slapped the flooded floor in anger, causing water to splash.

"I know...I know, babe. I promise." He approached him slowly hand up in a placating manner. "But it's over now. You're safe." Gavin pulled out his phone, dialing an S.O.S. to dispatch. As soon as it was sent out, he pocketed his phone and hobbled his way over to him. "C'mon fish fry, let's go."

His cleared voice shook the remaining anger that rolled off of him in silent waves. His fins folded down in submission and gills close tight against his skin. Nines lifted himself to look over to Gavin, eyebrows pulling together in concern. “What do you mean? You’re injured, Gavin. You are losing too much blood at this rate you will-”

"You will," He lifted a hand pointing at him halfheartedly yet sternly. His voice was just the same. "Shut the fuck up. I gotta get you to the fucking river, or they'll kill you."

Gavin’s breath was heavy as he marched his way over to Nines. “Gavin, you damned fool…”

“I’m not losing you, _okay_?!” He wrapped his arms behind his shoulders and under the thickest part of his tail. With a pained cry, he lifted him into his arms bridal style. His shoulder protested, enough so to have stars sent across his vision.

“Fuck!” He grit with a watery laugh. “You’re heavier than you look.”

"Gavin, put me down now!" He pushed him away, weakly, and Gavin smirked. Because he knew all too well if he were to let go, he would simply trap him. He would be destroyed, and Gavin would be deemed responsible. It didn't mean he couldn't cry for him to release him.

“No.”

“Gavin, I will be fine.” A lie.

Gavin shivered upon the sensation of blood soaking through his shirt and seeping downward. "No!" He growled the gasp through his teeth dangerously. He would push on. He would keep his promise. Even if it fucking killed him. "I'll dump you in the lock. You will swim into the river and into St. Clair like we planned. Like I planned. Hide ya right under their noses." He took in a deep gasp of the night's cold, stinging air that burned his lungs, stumbling over his feet before quickly recovering himself.

Stumbling home after a night at the bar gave him enough practice, it seemed. Dark humor was the only salve that could ease the bitter cruelty of the situation.

“You wanted to see a sunset. I will get you your _phcking_ sunset.” He growled in determination.

But it was broken by a report clapping into the night. Burning fire blossomed in his chest, causing a choked sob of pain to rip from his throat. He stumbled forward.

“Amanda!”

It seemed Nines didn't hit her hard enough. Fuck. Gavin gritted his teeth, looking over his shoulder. She wavered on her slightly on her feet as she stepped forward using a nearby light pole to recover. "And where do you think you're going with my property?!" She roared.

An arm was pulled away from his neck, and then a cold webbed hand was placed against his cheek. It was cruel that this was the first time that he felt that hand against his skin. It was smooth and soft, just like any other hand he had felt touch his body. Craving any sort of touch for so long, he gave in and leaned into it as he swayed dangerously.

It was enough to fuel his waning fire. To get his friend to safety.

"He's not your property, lady…." He rasped, though he doubted that he could hear her, it still felt good to spew out the truth. Because he felt Nines grow tense, the way his heart pounded so quickly against his chest. He saw the anger he had never seen on his face clear as day. He would be just the same, just not as composed.

He feared her, and he didn't blame him.

Another crack of the report, and tearing sensation through his thigh. This time it had him falling to his knees. But never would he allow Nines to touch the ground. He held him closer to his bleeding chest.

"Gavin, you damned fool!"

If protecting the only fucker, he cared about in this fucking world made him a fool, so be it. If doing anything good in this cruel world made him a fool, he could do that. If his last act in the world was of kindness for another when all he had experienced was pain...well.

So be it.

“You're gonna make it, and you’re gonna swim off to the sunset and watch it like you always wanted to, fish fry.” He gasped

"Gavin, put me down!" His tail had twisted around his abdomen and hips so tightly. It was as if he were to let go, he would fall away from existence. "I'm not losing you."

“Last chance.”

Yeah, it was his last chance. And he ignored the both of them.

He bowed his head, gritting his teeth. His nerves were on fire, his bones felt as if they would snap, glass rubbed along his spine. But he would not give up.

He made a fucking promise.

Standing onto wavering feet, he charged forward blindly, stumbling those last steps and all but tossing him and Nines into the water. It was gravity, a cut off cry and then the cold, bitter, water surrounding him.

It stung his body, curling around his limbs and seeping into each bullet wound. The water was murky and dark. Above he saw the flashing lights of more police cruisers as they pulled in. Slowly he felt himself slipping away just as Nines had.

In the end, he was helpless, so he didn't feel pain. He would swim off if freedom was right there for the taking too. He was glad. Nines would get what he wanted and well... It wasn't with a bang. But at least he would leave doing something good.

Gavin gave into the battle of holding his breath, opening his mouth to release a torrent of bubbles and take in murky, dirty water. He didn't have to close his eyes. Darkness was taking over him so quickly and violently.

Before he could accept that this was how he was going to go, a shadow approached quickly. Nines swam around him once, swooped in close to press their bodies together, and hooked his arms under his own. Quickly with only a few powerful thrusts of his tail, they broke the surface.

He was somewhere in between living and barely alive. Dead yet staying on the edge. "Gavin! Stay awake for me now!" He heard between his head dipping underneath and breaking the surface.

Nines forced him onto his back as he swam through the water, pushing them towards the shore. Gavin closed his eyes. Just as he was slipping into the darkness, he was forced onto the shoreline's rocky beach. Trash and foam were settled in between the rocks, and the smell of sewer was raw and strong.

"Gavin? Gavin, can you hear me?" Through the fog, he could hear him. And through the fog, he felt warm lips on his blue, shivering lips.

He opened his eyes and couldn't help but weakly press into the kiss. He was glad that he returned the gesture, sloppy yet affectionate, and if not desperate.

Nines would have to work on that. Just not with him, it seemed. More air was forced into his lungs. As an instinctual reaction, Gavin began spitting up water choking and gagging on the taste. "That's it, Gavin. You're alright. I have you." Nines tilted his head to the side so he wouldn't choke. He was so weak and tired. Weary unfocused eyes looked up to his savior.

Never had he been so happy to see his android looming over him. “H-hey,” he rasped weakly. The stars above tilted and spun dangerously. Fuck, he felt like shit. His body began to shiver and reminded him very aggressively of the four bullets in him.

That would explain why his head was spinning. Maybe because of all the blood he was losing. Lord knew he was painting the shore with his blood like some modern art piece. He coughed again, but instead of water, blood trailed from the side of his mouth. "Some kiss." His voice was barely audible to his own ears.

Again Nines forced another breath into his lungs, but with it came another bout of burning pain that became numb with the other parts of his body lit in flames.

Nines suddenly looked up beyond where they lay as sirens and voices came closer. “Gavin, I can’t leave you-I-I _can’t_." His hands frantically pressed over the bullet wound in his chest. When he pressed down, a bark of pain had blood splattered on his face. Nines flinched, his expression turning more worried if not panicked. He drew closer to him, fingers dragging through the rocks.

The merman pressed their foreheads together, eyebrows knitting together, and lips curling in pain. "Gave-Gave...me a good time, man. I-" Gavin coughed up more blood, causing Nines to pull back to press his hand into his chest harder. Gavin cringed, gritting his teeth before forcing it into a smile. He looked up to those eyes he would always fall for and never get tired of looking back at him. He remembered their every detail.

"Gavin, listen to me." His words fell on deaf ears. He was too lost in those brown eyes. "The others, they will help you. But I can’t _stay_.”

If there was one thing that bitch did right was making the fucking fish handsome as fuck. But he was past the point of help now.

"Th-thanks for always listening, f-fish fry." Nines had been the missing, tightest fitting puzzle piece to his heart, accommodating his worn-out edges even if he knew it.

His heart broke as he watched the android reluctantly backing away, sank into the murky water, and finally dipped below the surface of the water.

Yeah.

There went the only person that ever got past his walls.

There he went, and here came the sweet darkness, taking over his sight just as someone came into it.

Three days later, Gavin woke up in a hospital bed with the nasty flu on top of four sets of stitched bullet holes. Five days later, he was omitted from the hospital on temporary leave and his left arm in a sling.

Meanwhile, in his recovery, among all the bullshit of paperwork and reports, the concerned texts from all five contacts in his phone, all that was on his mind was the android merman. 

11:13 A.M.

hope u r feeling better

He wasn’t. Seeing the text made him a bit _bitter,_ if anything.

11:14: A.M.

You know you can always visit me? Being your son and all

(read)

11:45 A. M.

i'm sorry son work got me tied up. How about beer and wings sat?

Even if he did visit him in the hospital, it didn't make up for so many years of drifting apart.

It was the age-old excuse, and it had lost its charm after so many years. At least mom sent him a care package. Toilet paper included.

11:50 A.M.

Sure

(read)

And he left it at that. They wouldn’t go out to a sports bar for said beer and wings. They wouldn't talk about everything and anything and catch up like he always promised. They just wouldn’t. Because he just didn’t know how to live outside of those four glass walls of his office

Honestly, just being told he couldn't be bothered was better than being told straight-up lies.

He shoved the phone into his back jean pocket, drawing his hand through his hair. At least he kept busy doing other things.

Every moment of spare time he had was spent in secret looking for _him_. When hope began to wane, he gave up.

Gavin had spent the evening looking at the sunset over St. Clair sucking on the fifth cigarette in the few hours he had been sitting here. His bones and body hurt. And it was because he was way past due for his pain meds for his arm. Gavin rolled his shoulder and winced at the round of stinging pain that graced the wound and healing tendons.

He wanted to get better. Get back to the precinct and get his fucking mind off of the android with homicides, and red ice deals gone wrong. Drown himself in an hour old coffee left on the burner. He wanted to get back to the way things were before...before _him_.

At least while he was here, he could be distracted by hearing the city's heartbeat pulse from this point of view. Gavin wouldn't be paying attention to the world at this time of day. Normally he would be just waking up for his mall cop shift.

He cursed, sucking down a large drag of his cigarette, hoping the sting would distract him. Just like the pain that came when he had rolled his arm.

Being here, thinking this would bring him the closure he needed, was wrong. Because if anything, it made him think about Nines even more. Made him regret ever telling him to go.

Because if anything.

 _Anything_.

He wanted him to fucking stay there until his eyes closed. Stay there until his vision blacked out. He wanted to see him haloed by the stars above as he looked down at him with those honey-brown eyes of his.

Wet locks of brown hair dripping with water.

He knew it was all too good to be real. He should have known. He should have pretended because if he had, he wouldn't have been hurting as much as he was right now. And that's what always bit him in the fucking ass. When it was so good and he let his walls come down.

In the end, he was the one that got shoveled the shit.

Just as the sun kissed the lake's horizon, shadowing boats and cargo ships, he growled a breath of aggravation, flicking the cigarette into the water. The hiss of the embers being put out satisfied his ears. He bowed his head, closing his eyes tightly, gritting his teeth, and shaking his hair.

He looked back to the lake, pulling his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs.

"Hope you got your sunset, Nines." He murmured softly to himself, looking up to the sunset over the lake. His eyes sparkled a little bit too much in the orange sorbet flares of the sun.

So this was it. The closure he thought he wouldn't find here, was here. The ending to a storybook fairy tale. Gavin stood up, shoving his fists into his jacket, giving the water one last considering look. A soft breeze had brown hair fluttering in the wind and falling over his forehead messily.

He swallowed the lump in his throat before he turned away, ripped his eyes away from the sight. Wherever he was, he would forget. If he was alive or dead, he wouldn’t care.

With each step. Gavin placed those walls around his heart. Higher than before, so no one would ever climb over or break them down ever again.

He would just go back to pretending. Just like he always had.


End file.
